The contribution of Marx and writers in the Marxist tradition represents one of the most influential attempts to understand the nature and origins of the modern Western world. The distinctiveness of the legacy of Marx — who collaborated especially closely with Engels in his historical studies — centres on the understanding of the dynamics of modern Western society in terms of the capitalist mode of production. The central organising frame for explanations of the emergence of European modernity focuses on the transition from the feudal to the capitalist mode of production.